Electric cut-out



June 30, 1925. 1,544,467

J. J. MCDONALD ELETRIC CUT-OUT Filed April 5, 1924 23 f "I'l ETE-.5- L FEY- g4 Q5 nii- Patented J une A30, 1925.

JAMES JOSEPH MODONALD, 0F BOSEVILLE, CALIFOBNI.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

Application led April 3, 1984. Serial lo. 704,053.

To all wlwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JOSEPH MCDONALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roseville, inthe county of Placer and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Cut-Outs; andv I do declare thev following to be a full, clear,.and exact `de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric Vcutouts for automobiles, and the principal object of the invention is to pro vide a simple and inexpensive, yet an 'effective switch which may be incorporated in the ground wire for the battery, or in the case of, a two-wire system, in one of the lead wires, said switch being provided with an easily accessible operating handle, which may be quickly grasped by the driver to throw the battery out of circuit, in case lire should start by worn insulation on any of the wires in the usual wiring system. Thus, a great many serious fires may be averted, as worn insulation on wiring, is one of the most common causes for fires on automobiles. If the battery is thrown out of circuit as soon as fire starts from this cause, such fire can be easily extinguished without any appreciable damage to the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the switch may be locked in openposition so that it may also be used to prevent unauthorized running of automobiles and will consequently diminish theft to a large extent. v

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of invention showing the switch in open position.

Figure 2 is a du licate of Fig. 1 with the exception that it il ustrates the switch closed.

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figs. 1 and 2 reslpectively. f i igure 5 is a detail sectional view similar to the central portion of Fig. 3 but illustrating the plunger locking bolt in retracted position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing .thelock barrel and the plunger locking bolt in juxtaposition.

Figures 7 and 8 are detail sectional views illustrating a different form of locking means for the switch plunger.

`In the' drawings above briefly described,

the numeral 1 designates an elongated casc ing which may be formed of vhard rubber, libre or any other insulating or non-insulating material. Within one end of this casing, I have shown a pair of contacts 2-for connection with the ends 3 of two sections 4 into which one of the ordinary batter leads is divided, said terminals being pre erably soldered in sockets 5 formed in the -outer ends of the contacts 2. These contacts are preferably embedded in an ,insulating ring 6 held within one end of the casing wall, and the opposed surfaces of said contacts are exposed at theinner periphery of the ring, as shown. These exposed portions of the contacts, preferably diverge inwardly to ti htly engage a. tapered switch plu whic is carried b a strai ht operating plunger 8, said plug ing insu ated rom the plunger as indicated at 9, and being preferably of a split, yieldable formation.

In order to hold the ring 6fwithin one open end of thecasing 1, I prefer to press a circumferential portion ofthe latter inwardly, as indicated at 10, or.` tolotherwise provide an'4 internal .rib to abut the inner edge of said ring, whileLto abut the outer' edge of the ring, an end of the casing may well be turned inwardly as indicated at'11.

A closure ring 12 is mountedinthe end of the casing 1, remote from the ring 6 and is held against removal, preferably by means of a screw cap against movement lines in Fig. 2). ring 12 pr'e er on the casing wall, which rib ma be formed in the same manner as the ri 10. The plunger 8 passes slidablY through the ring 12 and through a, centra cap 13, and a coiled compression spring 1 surrounds said plunger and at one end bears against the rin 12, while its other end may be associated with the plug 7 from which it is insulated. The spring 17 normally holds the plug 7 engaged with the contacts 2, but the plunger 8 is provided with suitable finger gri s or the like 18, by means of which sai plunger may be raised to the by a set-'screw 14 (dotted The inner edge of the 13 which may be locked ably abuts an internal rib 15 opening 16 in the position shown in Fig. 1, to disengage the plug from the contacts and thus throw the battery of the machine out of circuit. Suitable means is provided on the plunger 8, for co-action with the ring 12, to hold said plunger in raised position, and this means is preferably controlled by a lock,'so that the improved switch may be used to lock a car against unauthorized use.

In the form of construction shown, the inner periphery of the ring 12 is provided with a continuous groove 19 having an abrupt wall 20 constituting a shoulder for co-action with projectable and retractible locking means carried by the plunger 8. In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, this locking means comprises 4a spring-pressed locking bolt 21 which normally projects from-the plunger 8 as shown in Fig. 2, when the switch is closed. By an upward pull on this plunger, the bolt 21 moves inwardly when it contacts with the ring 12 and when the plunger is raised enough, the actuating spring 22 of said bolt projects 4the bolt into the groove 19, and the bolt engages the wall 20, so that the plunger is held in raised position, with the switch open.

F or releasing the bolt 21 from the locked th position of Fig. l, I have shown a rotatable key-controlled lock barrel 23, mounted within the plunger 7 said barrel 23 having an eccentrically positioned pin 24 projecting into a slot 25 in the bolt 21, the pin being normally so positioned that it will not interfere with sliding movement of the bolt. When the barrel 23 is turned by means of a key however,`the pin 24 strikes the shoulder 26 of the bolt and retracts the latter, to permit closing of the switch.

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. Z and 8, a pair of lockin levers 27 are pivoted at 28 in a slot29 ormed in the plunger 8, and a spring 30 is interposed between two ends of said levers to normally spread them to the position shown in Fig. 8, so that they are in readiness for enga ement with the groove 19. To release t is locking means, `I have shown a key-controlled locking barrel 23* within the plun er 8, provided with a flat end 24'* receiva le between the closely spaced ends of the levers 27 and normally positioned as shown in Fig. 8. To release the levers 27 from the groove 19, the barrel 23a is turned and its flattened end will spread the levers to the position shown in Fig. 7.

The device may be attached to a machine at any desired point, and for this purpose, I have shown it provided with suitable aper tured ears 31. such a point as to have the plunger 8 readily accessible for outward pulling at a moments notice, and thus if fire starts, said plunger may be immediately pulled outwardly to the position of Fig. 1, to break the battery circuit. Thus, if faulty insulation has been the cause of the trouble, it can cause no further damage and the fire may easily be extinguished before it obtains any appreciable headway. This is the primary intent of the invention as above set forth, but it will act also as a theft preventer, as when the switch is locked in open position, the machine cannot be operated under its own power.

As excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, they may be followed if desired, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

I claim:

1.- A switch of the class set forth comprising a casing, switch means in said casing, a plunger for operating said switch means, a ring in one end of said casing through which said plunger passes, the inner periphery of said ring being provided with a shoulder, spring-projected locking means carried by e plunger for engagement with said shoulder to hold the switch in open position, and means for holding said ring in the cas ing, said means comprisin an internal rib abutting the inner edge o? the ring and a cap on an end of the casing abutting the outer edge of said ring.

2. A switch of the class set forth comprising an elongated casing open at both ends `and having internal ribs spaced inwardly from said ends, an insulating ring fitted within one end of said casing and carryin a pair of s aced contacts, said' one end 0% the casing eing turned inwardly against the outer edge of said ring while the inner edge of the latter abuts one of said ribs, a second ring fitting within the other end of the casing and abutting the other internal rib, a ca on the last named end of the casing hol ing said second ring in place, a plunger passing through the second named ring and having a contact co-operable with the aforesaid contacts, a spring surrounding said plunger and bearing against the second ring for normally engaging the contacts, and co-operable locking means carried by said plunger and second ring for holding the former in a switch open position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aixed my signature.

JAMES JOSEPH MCDONALD.

It is always installed at 

